Chapter 995 - Prince Jing, Zhuge Liuyun

“Neither good nor bad?” Chen Fan frowned and asked, “What does that mean?”

“Qin Yao’s mother is a princess of the Great Jin Imperial Court. Though her status is honorable, it comes with stricter constraints—marriage, love, even freedom.”

He raised his eyebrow, silently staring at Lin Xian’er.

She was not wrong.

Royal birth gave privileges most could never attain, yet the weight they bore was something ordinary people could not imagine.

Outsiders saw the splendor of being an imperial descendant but never the sacrifices behind the scenes.

As the saying went, the emperor’s family was the most heartless.

Take the current Holy Spirit Ancient Nation, for example. For the sake of imperial authority, the ground would be filled with corpses everywhere.

“To maintain a force’s prosperity, it’s not just about nurturing monstrous talents—alliances through marriage are another way to unite the strong. Back then, Qin Yao’s mother was chosen to seal a marriage alliance between the Great Jin Imperial Court and the Sun Moon Divine Sect.”

A sharp light flashed in Chen Fan’s eyes.

Why am I getting involved with the Sun Moon Divine Sect everywhere!

“Being born in the royal family means that she was destined to be sacrificed for the clan, and there is no way to resist. But Qin Yao’s mother defied fate. She abandoned the alliance and met Qin Yao’s father, Qin Changkong.

“It was a meeting by chance. Back then, Qin Yao’s mother, Ji Lingyu, had her cultivation sealed. She met with danger after escaping, and Qin Changkong saved her. Before long, they fell in love and Qin Yao was born.

“However, there was no going against her fate as royalty. The Ji Clan poured their efforts into finding Ji Lingyu and finally found the family of three. Qin Changkong used to be a prodigy of the Tianwu Continent and an influential figure with exceptional talent, possessing Lesser Legendary realm cultivation at a young age.

“Unfortunately, despite his peerless talent, Qin Changkong couldn’t face a behemoth like the Great Jin Imperial Court alone. Ultimately, his Martial Soul was shattered, and he barely escaped with Qin Yao, while Ji Lingyu was brought back to the Great Jin Imperial Court.

“Heavily injured, Qin Changkong fled to the Hong Domain with Qin Yao and hid there; unfortunately, Qin Yao’s bloodline awakened and the Great Jin Imperial Court noticed that. You know what happened next.”

Listening up till here, Chen Fan’s heart tightened. If that was the case, Qin Yao and Qin Changkong must have struggled.

“Senior Sister and Uncle Qin...”

Lin Xian’er seemed to know what Chen Fan wanted to ask and interrupted with a smile, “The Ji Clan carries the phoenix’s bloodline, but few among the hundreds of thousands. Those who do are guaranteed to reach the Legendary realm, so they become key targets to be nurtured.

“Although the imperial court took her back, she didn’t endure much hardship.”

Chen Fan let out a sigh of relief.

He recalled their time in the Dragon Mountain Blessed Land when Qin Yao absorbed a Rain Dragon’s blood. Something had indeed changed within her then, likely the moment her phoenix bloodline awakened.

No wonder the Great Jin Imperial Court took her and Qin Changkong soon after.

“Although she wasn’t mistreated and received ample cultivation resources, her “sinful blood” still made her status in the Ji Clan less than ideal.”

Chen Fan nodded.

As long as his senior sister and Qin Changkong were fine, that was fine.

“But...”

Lin Xian’er’s sudden shift in tone made Chen Fan’s heart tighten. His gaze locked onto her.

Lin Xian’er also stared at Chen Fan. After a moment of silence, she slowly said, “But I’m afraid such peaceful days won’t last. From the news I’ve gotten, something major is about to happen within the Ji Clan—something related to Qin Yao.”

Chen Fan’s pupils contracted. He immediately asked, “Saintess, do you know what it is?”

“I’m not certain of the details, but it’s said to be related to the Sun Moon Divine Sect.”

“The Sun Moon Divine Sect again!”

A chilling light flashed in Chen Fan’s eyes. He had the urge to storm the Sun Moon Divine Sect and erase them from existence.

First, Qin Yao’s mother was tangled with them. Then, the chaos in the Holy Spirit Ancient Nation was tied to them. And now, Qin Yao herself seemed to be caught in their web.

Although the exact situation remained unclear, since it came from Lin Xian’er, it would not be some ordinary matter.

Chen Fan already held no goodwill toward the Sun Moon Divine Sect. Now, his distaste had turned to outright hostility.

Taking in a deep breath, a sharp light flashed across Chen Fan’s eyes. No matter what this “big matter” was, if it involved Qin Yao, then it involved him.

“Many thanks for letting me know, Saintess. I am always grateful to you. If you ever need my help, I will definitely do my best,” Chen Fan said to Lin Xian’er seriously.

Although he could’ve uncovered this information on his own, it would have taken far longer.

He felt relieved now that he knew Qin Yao was doing fine.

“I’ll hold you to that promise. You’d better not go back on your words when the time comes.” Lin Xian’er’s smile bloomed like a hundred flowers, so beautiful it could bring a city or a nation to ruin.

......

In a palace inside the Prince Jing Mansion, Zhuge Yan was quietly cultivating.

Brilliant light flickered around him, arcs of lightning coursing through the air, exuding an aura of sheer destruction. With a mere flick of his hand, he seemed capable of leveling cities.

However, amid his cultivation, Zhuge Yan’s expression remained taut. Something weighed heavily on his mind.

The battle at the coliseum was a huge blow to him.

He—Zhuge Yan—had to rely on his status as half a host to survive.

Humiliation!

Utter humiliation!

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps rang out.

Zhuge Yan opened his eyes and saw a tall, imposing middle-aged man enter, his bearing filled with authority. His features bore a striking resemblance to Zhuge Yan—sixty to seventy percent alike.

Zhuge Liuyun, Prince Jing of the Holy Spirit Ancient Nation. He looked into Zhuge Yan’s eyes and immediately saw through him.

Zhuge Yan seemed to have a mental demon because of Chen Fan.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

This was dangerous.

“On the path of cultivation, no matter the obstacle, you must overcome it yourself. The opponent you faced this time may be the most exceptional you’ve ever encountered. If you can’t walk out of it, you will forever be under his shadow,” Zhuge Liuyun said.

“I believe you can do it because you are my, Zhuge Liuyun’s, son!”

Zhuge Yan was silent. Then, he slowly raised his head, and his eyes became clear. The surrounding lightning no longer fluctuated, as if the haze in his heart was swept away because of Zhuge Liuyun’s words.

“Father, I will kill him!”